Who we are
by foreverandalwaysxo
Summary: Booth and Brennan are united and through the ups and downs of their relationship as partners and friends, they discover who they are.
1. The first time

Temperance Brennan entered the Jeffersonian at six-thirty on the morning of Monday the first of September 2005. Despite the early hour, it seemed everybody was already hard at work. Temperance began making her way upstairs toward her office, but before she was even half way there, a voice stopped her.

"Good morning Doctor Brennan!" it exclaimed cheerfully.

"Hello Cam." Temperance replied. She didn't even having to turn around to know who the voice belonged to.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" Cam asked, glancing at her watch. "Do you remember what we discussed on the last day of work before the summer break?"

Temperance sighed. "You told me that after the summer break, I needed to cut back on my hours, relax and let some of the other workers at the Jeffersonian pick up some of the slack."

"So what are you doing here at six-thirty in the morning?" Cam pressed.

"I need to start the pile of paperwork that has built up over the break." Temperance explained. "Nobody can do that for me Cam."

Now it was Cam's turn to sigh. She knew she was fighting a losing battle, so she decided to let Temperance go. "Alright Temperance, but I don't want to see you down here until at least nine-thirty."

Temperance had no idea what she was going to do for three hours in her office. She couldn't spend that long doing paperwork, it'd do her head in. "Yes Cam." She replied.

Later that morning, a knock arrived at Temperance's office door. She knew who it would be, and in hope of avoiding her visitor, she glanced up at the clock on her wall, hoping it was nine-thirty or later. It was only eight-fifteen. There was no escaping this. "Come in!" she called.

"Hello sweetie!" Angela said. "Cam said you were up here doing paperwork. Is it okay if we have a little chat?"

"Sure Angela. What do you have in mind?" Temperance asked. She knew what was on her mind, but she was hoping she for once wasn't right.

"It's about what happened at the end of June." Angela began.

Temperance had been right. She thought about excusing herself to go to the bathroom, or saying that she had too much work to talk, but she knew that sooner or later Angela was going to get her to talk. She wasn't going to be able to stay quiet forever.

"Angela, I'm fine, okay? I'm back at work, I'm eating enough, I'm drinking enough and I'm staying fit. Everything's good." Temperance rambled.

"That may be right sweetie, but deep down inside I know you are cutting yourself up about what happened, and that's what's going to do the most damage in the end." Angela said. "I'd like you to see a counsellor, just as a precaution."

"Angela!" Temperance shouted. "How could you even suggest that? I told you, I'm fine. Now if you don't mind, I've got work to do."

Angela sighed. Taking the hint, she said goodbye to her best friend and made her way back downstairs to continue working on a drawing that she was almost finished with. She had known Temperance for a very long time, and she knew that Temperance was stubborn and strong-willed, and could not be forced into doing things that she didn't want to do.

That afternoon, after finally being allowed downstairs to work, Temperance found herself examining a body that had just been brought in from a bin in a nearby alley. She had determined that the body was male and that he would have been in his late twenties or early thirties when he died. She had determined that he was Caucasian and that he was approximately 6"7' and 187 pounds. Before she had a chance to do anything else, she was interrupted.

"How are you going Temperance?" Cam asked.

"Well thanks Cam. I've determined the gender, age, race, height and weight of this body." Temperance stated.

"And what have you concluded?"

"This body is male, was in his late twenties or early thirties when he died, is Caucasian and is approximately 6"7' and 187 pounds." Temperance continued.

"Excellent work as usual Doctor Brennan!" Cam stated. "I however, have another job for you to do for me. I'd like you to go to the airport and pick up your new partner."

Hearing the words new partner stunned Temperance. It had only been exactly sixty-two days, sixteen hours, twenty minutes and fifty-three seconds since her previous partner, Timothy Sullivan had been killed. "A new partner?" she asked.

"Yes Doctor Brennan." Cam repeated. "The F.B.I would still like to be partnered with the Jeffersonian, and therefore you need to work with another agent. However, due to the previous circumstances I have asked for a specific agent. His name is Seeley Booth and he's transferring from New York. He's my ex-boyfriend, but that is an unimportant detail. Please go and pick him up."

Still in shock, Temperance simply nodded and left to make her way towards the airport. On the way there, Temperance thought about what Seeley Booth would look like, what he would be like, and whether or not he would be similar to Timothy Sullivan.


	2. A night out

Temperance arrived at the airport at three-thirty. It was another hour before Seeley Booth's flight was due in, so she decided to get a coffee and browse the shops at the airport. She thought about getting a gift for her new partner, but thinking about it more carefully, she realised that it would be awkward if she did that. No more than ten minutes later, she'd thought about the same idea again, and had come to the conclusion that she would get a gift for her new partner. It wouldn't be awkward, but just a simple, friendly gesture. She continued to browse the shops and finally, in a gift store, found a small bear holding a sign that said welcome. Half an hour later, she was watching Seeley Booth climb off flight 328 from New York, but he was not alone. Temperance was confused. Was this Seeley Booth? Cam had not mentioned that he would have company.

"Temperance Brennan?" a voice said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Hello. You're Seeley Booth?" Temperance asked.

"Yes." Seeley said. "This is my ex-wife Rebecca, and my son Parker."

It suddenly occurred to Temperance that with Cam being Seeley's ex-girlfriend, and Rebecca being Seeley's ex-wife, Cam may not know about Rebecca or Parker.

"Hello Temperance." Rebecca said politely. "Parker, say hello to Temperance please."

"Hello!" the small boy said, waving excitedly.

"I understand that you're here to pick me up Temperance." Seeley said. "Rebecca and Parker will get a cab to their apartment, would you mine dropping me off to mine?"

"Sure." Temperance said. "Are you sure Rebecca and Parker are okay to get a cab?"

"We'll be fine." Rebecca said quickly. "Thanks anyway Temperance. It was nice meeting you. Say goodbye to Temperance Parker, and then we'll go home."

"Bye!" Parker said, once again waving excitedly.

An hour later, Temperance pulled up in front of Seeley's apartment. She pressed the button to open the boot and helped him carry his things to his door. After saying goodbye, she made her way back to the Jeffersonian. She needed to start the report on the body she was examining that afternoon before going home.

"Temperance, why are you here?" Cam asked as Temperance made her way back into the Jeffersonian.

"I need to do the report on the body I examined this afternoon." Temperance explained.

"It's done." Cam stated. "Go home and get some rest. Statistics prove that you and Seeley will have a case early hours of the morning, you need to sleep before that happens."

Temperance sighed. She was tired, and she'd be exhausted if she had to get up at four-thirty in the morning like she used to have to do when she was partnered with Timothy with no sleep. "Thanks Cam." She replied, and she turned to leave.

When Temperance arrived home, she was shocked to find Seeley Booth waiting at her front door.

"Seeley, why are you here?" she asked.

"I thought we could grab dinner. I'm starved and you look like you are exhausted. Surely you don't feel like cooking."

"How'd you know where I lived?" Temperance asked blankly.

"I'm F.B.I Agent Temperance." Seeley reminded her, as if it should be obvious to her.

"You're not an F.B.I Agent, you're a stalker!" Temperance exclaimed, poking Seeley in the stomach.

Seeley swiftly avoided falling backwards as a reaction and laughed. "Let's just go. You can't tell me you feel like cooking."

"If I don't feel like cooking, I usually just don't bother and go to bed." Temperance explained. "Like you noted, I'm exhausted. I don't really feel like going out either."

"Come on Temperance!" Seeley said. "I'll drive, I'll buy you dinner and I'll have you back before nine so you can get an early night. Sound like a plan?"

Temperance sighed. She knew she wasn't going to get out of this dinner. Admittedly she was hungry; she just didn't like the idea of going out with her partner. It seemed like a date, and aside from the fact that they were professional partners, they'd just met.

That night, Seeley took Temperance to the Royal Diner. He ordered a works burger, she ordered a vegetarian burger. They ordered coffee which kept them both going for the night and after paying for both their meals, as promised, Seeley got Temperance home before nine.

"Here we are!" Seeley exclaimed. "Eight thirty-five. What did I tell you?"

Temperance didn't reply. Seeley looked over to the passenger seat and found her sound asleep, her head gently leaning against the window. He jumped out of the car and quietly scrambled around in the back trying to find something to pick her lock with. When he found something appropriate, he made his way up to her door and unlocked it. He then returned to the car and gently picked her up, swinging her bag over his shoulder. After placing her on her couch inside and covering her with a blanket, he locked the front door and headed for home.


End file.
